The cutting of numerous types of materials, for example, glass, metal, or ceramics, may be accomplished through use of a high-pressure abrasive fluid jet that is generated by mixing abrasive particles, for example, gamet, with a high-pressure fluid jet. Although different fluids may be used, high-pressure fluid jets are typically water, and are generated by high-pressure, positive displacement pumps that can pressurize water to 2,000-75,000 psi.
Currently available systems for generating abrasive fluid jets are adequate, but have some disadvantages. For example, abrasive is fed to the system from a bulk hopper to a secondary hopper that has a metering device mounted in its base. Typically, the secondary hopper is filled by a feed tube in a self-regulating fashion, in which the abrasive will rise to some level in the hopper and then stop. The secondary hopper, although smaller than the bulk hopper, typically has a diameter on the order of 6-8 inches and a length of 15-20 inches, which can be cumbersome, given that it is typically desirable to mount the secondary hopper on motion equipment.
Furthermore, currently available systems do not always have a controlled or consistent feed rate of abrasive, which contributes significantly to the cost of operation. Also, manufacturing is somewhat cumbersome.
Applicants therefore believe that an improved system for generating abrasive fluid jets is possible, and desirable, both from a manufacturing and performance viewpoint.